


Empress for the Evening

by renfics



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, First Order Politics (Star Wars), Protective Kylo Ren, Reader is Royalty, Reader-Insert, Romantic Fluff, Strangers to Lovers, Time Skips, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Tropes, seriously it's trope town
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:53:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24537301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/renfics/pseuds/renfics
Summary: You hated the annual First Order Gala.  Having to plaster on a fake smile and act cordial towards hundreds of people who you barely knew was not your ideal way to spend the evening.  But when the Supreme Leader takes an interest in you, you realise that perhaps the night won’t be as boring as you had anticipated.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Reader, Kylo Ren/You
Comments: 4
Kudos: 58





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a miniseries I uploaded on my Tumblr - enjoy!

Y/N hated these big First Order galas.

Once every cycle the leader of the Order’s allied planets gathered for a spectacular event filled with schmoozing, and usually plenty of boozing. Hundreds of Kings, Queens, Princes and Princesses would be in attendance as well as the First Order officials.

Usually you would attend with your father, the reigning King, but he had recently fallen ill and was unable to accompany you, leaving Princess Y/N to attend alone. Your planet boasted one of the most extensive steel industries in the galaxy, which frequently saw other leaders making bids for cuts of the produce.

Without your father with you it was your job to guide any negotiations which you were not as experienced in by a long shot, but you had spent years attending diplomatic events and watching your father interact with others. He had always told you that you were a natural diplomat, and tonight you were determined to prove that you were.

Your planet provided the First Order with much needed steel in exchange for healthy profits and protection. That deal functioned perfectly, and your father had strictly said that there was no room for further investors at the moment - the worry was that the older, more experienced diplomats would try and take advantage of the young Princess. But you had no intention of letting that happen.

The event was being hosted aboard the Finalizer, one of the biggest ships in the First Order’s fleet. You were relieved to have your handmaidens with you - they were only there for assist with you hair and makeup, but they were close friends of yours and their company was valuable.

Having arrived a few hours prior, you were now in your quarters for the evening. They were certainly luxurious, but there was little time to admire them before you were being fussed over by the your three handmaidens.

“Are you excited for tonight my Lady?” The eldest of the three, Kira, asked you.

“I suppose so. I’ve never had to attend alone, it’s quite daunting.” You gave a short laugh.

“I’m sure you’ll do just fine, nobody will be able to deny you when they see you in your dress.” The woman working on your hair, Flora, gave you a sweet smile.

“Flora’s right, you’ll be the centre of attention!” Jeyne added - she was the youngest of the three, and her optimism was always up-lifting.

“I’m not sure I want to be the centre of attention.” You chuckled, “I think I’d happily settle for nobody paying me attention!” You were only half joking.

You had only ever seen First Order officials when they visited your planet, and they were always intimidating individuals, particularly the Supreme Leader. He was a force to be reckoned with, and your instinct told you to stay away from a man as notoriously dangerous as him.

A few minutes before the Gala officially started your handmaidens had just finished putting the finishing touches to your appearance. You moved to look at yourself in the mirror and couldn’t help but admire the gorgeous craftsmanship on your dress.

It was layers of black satin, topped with chiffon. There were two slits either side of your legs, allowing the dress to beautifully flow behind you as you walked. The black was broken up by gold embellishments around your waist, which stretched up and over your shoulders - they accentuated your figure perfectly.

Your hair was styled in an elaborate up-do, one which was associated with your planet’s traditions. Your makeup was not too heavy, it gave your face a natural glow and complimented the dress with small gold flakes meeting the gold embellishments at your shoulder and travelling up the side of your face.

You couldn’t deny that you looked truly regal tonight.

“You ladies are magicians.” You were in awe at the transformation they had performed, and they all just proudly smiled at you.

A sharp knock came from the blast door, a Storm Trooper’s voice following, “Princess Y/L/N, we’re here to escort you.”

You bid goodnight to your handmaidens, who had been assigned their own shared quarters next door to yours. They all gushed as you left the room, wishing you a good night, hoping you enjoy yourself and everything in between.

As the two Storm Troopers led you to the reception hall where the Gala was to be held you couldn’t help but feel powerful with your dress flowing behind you, posture straight to match.

Despite looking powerful, the second you entered the reception hall and were deserted by your escorts you felt tiny. A few heads turned your way, muttering to the other people stood in their socialising circles.

The room was huge, decorated in lavish red and black ornaments. A staging area with a band playing music and a dancing floor connected where a few couples were already swaying together to the beat. What caught your eye was a long staircase, leading to a large blast door - you assumed that’s where the important people were able to enter.

You inhaled a deep breath and grabbed a glass of champagne, taking a dainty sip. Part of you wanted to just down the entire glass there and then, but you had an appearance to uphold.

A few more people were filtering in, and very soon a voice rang through the room, grabbing everyone’s attention.

“Presenting Supreme Leader Kylo Ren.”

The room broke out into applause as the young leader walked into the room through the blast door and made his way down the stairs. His expression was flat, posture poised - it seemed as though he barely wanted to be here, and honestly you couldn’t blame him.

You realised you had been standing alone for some time, so it was time to plaster on a fake smile and start socialising. There was one group of people where you recognised a majority of the aristocrats, so you approached them and they all greeted you with wide smiles.

“Princess, it’s so good to see you.”

“What a lovely young woman you’ve grown up to become.”

“It’s such a shame your father couldn’t be here tonight, do send him my best.”

“If your mother could see you now she would be so proud.”

You spent a long time feigning laughter, and showing your gratitude when you heard these remarks over and over again as the night went on. You felt uneasy for a lot of the night, even though you didn’t show it. It was as if someone was constantly watching you, but every time you looked around you couldn’t see anyone looking your way.

You wished someone would give you a conversation with some more substance… But sometimes you should be careful what you wish for. Just at that moment Baron Eastley approached, and he had a smug grin plastered across his face. He ruled over Bracca, the scrapper planet - your father’s biggest competition in the steel industry, but much lower quality than what you produced.

You plastered a fake smile on your face and turned to Eastley, “Baron, it’s a pleasure to see you again.”

He was a middle aged man, around the same age as your father. _Very_ proud, and had a habit of trying to buy up your steel empire to add to his own.

“Princess, it’s strange seeing you here without your father.” He remarked, and you could tell by his tone that he was here searching for opportunity.

“I’m afraid he’s unwell, he regrets that he cannot attend tonight.” That was a lie, he was thrilled he didn’t have to go - you got your hatred of these events from him.

“I see, and that means you’re handling the political matters tonight then I assume?” It was clearly a pointed question, he seemed to think you were born yesterday, but sometimes it helped that people underestimated you.

“I am indeed.” You took a sip of the champagne you held, figuring you’d need all the help you could get to make it through this conversation.

The Baron fell silent for a moment, as if considering what to say next, but eventually he spoke again, “Say, I don’t suppose you remember my youngest son do you Princess? Jacob is a similar age to yourself, and I daresay I have been looking for his perfect match.” A sickening grin crossed his lisps.

You wanted to throw up on the spot - you had met the Baron’s son and he was a disgusting, power hungry snake. He would do anything to be a King and work his way up to the top, his ambition was dangerous.

“I’m afraid I’m not currently open to marriage at this time, Baron. But I appreciate the gesture.” You attempted to turn and walk away, but his slimy hand was at the small of your back, spinning you back to face him.

“Now Princess if I discuss this with your father and he agrees I don’t believe you will have any say in the matter. Besides, you’ll be Queen someday, and wouldn’t it be nice to have a powerful King to handle ruling for you.” He was disgusting to say the least, and you weren’t going to stand for it, that wasn’t the kind of Queen you intended to be one day.

Smacking his hand away from your waist, he recoiled quickly and you straightened your posture to appear more regal, “My father would never force me into a marriage I do not consent to it is not the way of our planet, and I certainly do not need anyone to handle ruling for me, I’m quite capable of doing that myself.”

He looked stunned at your outburst - his views of women were very limited. Namely he believed they should be seen and not heard, and god-forbid they do anything without a man to support them.

“I suggest you reconsider, Princess-” His tone was low, as if he were beginning to threaten you, but before he could finish the ominous presence of Kylo Ren interjected.

“S-Supreme Leader.” Standing up straight and giving a stiff bow, the Baron looked like a deer caught in headlights.

You meanwhile knew how to keep your cool, you gave a soft smile and curtsied, allowing your dress to flow outwards as you did, “Supreme Leader, it’s an honour to meet you.”

He nodded towards the both of you in acknowledgement, “I’m not interrupting anything I hope.”

“Not at all Supreme Leader, in fact-” Baron Eastley von misogynist gushed at Kylo Ren, purposely stepping in front of you, to which you just rolled your eyes, “- I was hoping to speak to you tonight about Bracca taking over as the main supplier for steel for the First Order, you see-”

Kylo Ren held up a gloved hand, which immediately silenced the Baron, “I was actually here to talk to the Princess.” He cooly responded, “If you’ll excuse me.”

With that the large man brushed the Baron aside to stand before you. Even with your heels on he was tall, and this was the first proper look you had gotten at his face. He was handsome, in a very rugged way, defined features, a few freckles dotted around his face and a long scar that ran from his neck up past his eye. Although he looked dangerous at first glance, when you met his gaze there was a certain softness to his brown irises.

“I apologise for the King’s absence Supreme Leader, he’s taken ill.” You flashed him a polite smile.

“Please send him our best wishes.” He nodded at you, and you couldn’t ignore the Supreme Leader’s awkward energy. What did he have to be nervous about? He was the handsome ruler of the most powerful force in the galaxy, it was ideal.

“I’ll be sure to.” You replied, before the pair of you were just awkwardly stood there in silence, which you quickly decided to break, “I’m having a wonderful time, I hope you are too.” You commented, even though you were lying. You’d rather be anywhere else than having to pretend to be nice to so many people.

“Mm, I’ve never particularly enjoyed these events. I find them impractical.” He responded, and you were shocked at his honesty, you wished you could agree with him but that definitely would not be something a Princess would admit.

“You don’t have to pretend to be happy to be here.” Kylo Ren looked at you and your mouth went dry, how had he known? Then it hit you - he could fucking read minds… You prayed he hadn’t heard your handsome comment.

“It’s a lovely party Supreme Leader, it really is, I just- I-” You stammered, faltering for the first time that night, because this time you truly had been caught off guard.

He looked down briefly and let out what could only be described as a quiet laugh, he looked weirdly cute when he smiled, but you quickly cut that train of thought off incase he heard it. Something told you the Supreme Leader wasn’t someone regularly described as cute…

“Can I get you another drink?” He asked, still giving off a nervous energy. But he had noticed the empty champagne flute you were holding.

“I’d like that.” You were still smiling, and with that he took the empty glass from your hand and waved down a server to replace the empty one with two full glasses.

He handed one to you and kept the other for himself. You turned to look at the band, and the numerous couples on the dance floor, Kylo looking over your shoulder.

“Do you dance?” He asked, taking a drink from his glass.

“Oh, no I’ve never been one to enjoy it. I’m usually happy watching.” You chuckled, “Do you?”

“Absolutely not.” He replied.

You and Kylo spent almost the entirety of the night talking, it largely stayed as polite small talk, but he was asked plenty of questions about your home planet, he genuinely seemed interested. You asked him about the First Order, not getting too deep into any politics or work talk but just enough to seem invested.

Kylo could sense a lot of maturity from you, and a strong sense of diplomacy. He knew you would you make a fine ruler one day.

You were both still talking to one another, exchanging small laughs here and there, but you were interrupted by a sadly familiar face.

“Forgive me Supreme Leader but I was hoping to have a word with Princess Y/L/N.” Baron Eastley had a sickening smile on his face.

“Ass kisser.” You mumbled under your breath, and you could have sworn you saw Kylo’s lips curve upwards into a smirk.

“By all means.” He stepped away from you, but lingered nearby.

The Baron cleared his throat, clearly not wanting company for this conversation, but he pressed on. "Princess, I understand that before I may have come across too strong. But I wish to put my offer of marrying my son to you again, he has the experience you lack when it comes to diplomacy-“

”-Let me stop you right there, Baron.“ Perhaps you’d had one too many champagnes by this point, but your ability to hold your tongue had all but vanished. "Despite what you may think I am perfectly capable of ruling, and I do not need your stuck up, power hungry son to encroach on that. There is nothing in the _galaxy_ that would make me want to marry him - you think me naive, but I can see plain as day that you would have us wed to give yourself control over my planet’s economy. It will never happen.”

You were a little shocked at your own outburst, but the words were out there now… That was certainly not cordial behaviour.

“How _dare_ you.” Baron Eastley snapped, taking a step towards you to jam one of his slimy fingers in your face, “When your father dies there will be nobody to protect you anymore, and I _will_ see the steel industry transferred to Bracca.”

It was apparent that you had both forgotten whose presence you were in, but the wrath of the Supreme Leader wasn’t aimed at you.

“You interrupt me only to disrespect the Princess?” He snarled, and at that moment you realised just how scary he could be.

“N-no Supreme Leader I didn’t mean-” Suddenly shaking in his boots, the Baron stammered over every word.

“Bracca is of little use to me as it is, and if I see you _ever_ addressing the Princess again I will have that heap of scrap blown to bits.” His large figure was overbearing, and the Baron scurried off after muttering numerous apologies, clearly fearing for his life.

You exhaled a sigh, whilst talking to Kylo you have actually found yourself starting to enjoy the Gala, but now you were just as fed up with it as before.

“I apologise if this ruined your evening.” He turned back to you.

“It wasn’t all bad.” You managed a small smile but still felt slightly deflated at the Baron’s words. You wished people would stop overlooking you, and assuming you couldn’t handle power when you knew that wasn’t true. "But if it’s all the same to you I think I may retire for the evening.“

Kylo paused for a moment as if debating whether he should speak or not, but he did and his words surprised you, "May I walk you back to your quarters?”

You blinked, unable to believe that this was the Supreme Leader of the First Order being gentlemanly and asking to see you to your room.

“It would be an honour, Supreme Leader.” You finally broke out into a proper smile, and he offered you his arm which you gently took.

“Please, Kylo is fine.” You couldn’t believe how nervous he seemed, but there was a tension between you that you couldn’t explain, it was one you had never really felt before.

“I apologise for making a scene.” You said as you slowly walked back towards your quarters.

“You don’t need to apologise for someone else’s incompetence, and he was wrong anyway diplomacy doesn’t always take experience. You’re a natural.” You sensed genuine conviction in his words, and that truly was a compliment coming from him.

“Thank you Supre- Kylo.” You looked up at him with a smile, before you fell into comfortable silence.

You reached your quarters admittedly faster than you would have liked, and part of you was sad to be parting ways with Kylo now. You stood facing one another in front of the blast door, hoping to delay the inevitable for a bit longer.

“I hope to see you again soon, Princess.” Kylo broke the silence, his brown eyes staring into yours.

“And I you.” You replied, still looking just as regal as you had done at the beginning of the evening, “Thank you for-”

In that moment you were cut off by his lips crashing into yours, and you melted into the kiss. If somebody had told you your night would have ended in making out with the Supreme Leader you never would have believed them.

His hands travelled down to your waist, yours resting on his chest. It just felt so natural, like you’d kissed him a hundred times before. Your heart ached when the kiss was broken, not knowing when you would see him again.

Kylo took a step back and scratched the back of his neck, his face starting to heat up, “I’m sorry- it’s just-”

This time you were the bold one, you stepped forward and placed a slower, gentler kiss to his lips before pulling away, “Don’t apologise. I was going to say thank you for a lovely evening.”

Regaining some of his composure, a small smile smirk sat upon his lips, “I told you, you don’t have to lie about enjoying these events.”

Opening the blast doors you walked through into your quarters and turned to smile at him once more, “That time I wasn’t lying.”

Perhaps these Galas weren’t so bad after all.


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long cycle the First Order Gala was once again upon you, and your thoughts were fixed on Kylo Ren.
> 
> But as always there were plenty of sleazy politicians available to pull you away from your memories of kissing the Supreme Leader after the last Gala. It was time to assert your new position as Queen, and prove your independence.

It had been a long cycle. The illness your Father had contracted was more severe than the medical staff had initially thought, and a mere few months after the First Order’s last Gala he had passed away.

In the following months, you barely had any time to process losing him. He had been a widely respected and loved King, but you were quickly forced to step up as Queen – a role which you didn’t feel ready for. Many people told you that authority and leadership suited you, and thankfully you had managed to maintain the high functioning society your Father had for all those cycles.

Despite many nights spent alone silently mourning the loss of your Father, day to day you were in and out of meetings, public appearances and diplomatic endeavours. The steel industry was producing at a higher rate than ever, and you hoped that your Father would have been proud of what you had achieved since his passing.

You faced plenty of insubordination being a Queen of your age, but you stopped it very quickly by demonstrating that you aren’t afraid to exercise your power against those who undermine you. There were however some issues which your advisors consistently brought up which couldn’t be considered insubordinate; one of those was marriage.

It was true, you were young, pretty and heavily sought after by royal families from other planets. But the problem was you didn’t have any desire to marry. Had your Father still been King he would have been advised to marry you off to a planet whom he wished to ally himself with – but he had always taught you not to be a bargaining chip in somebody else’s political game. Now you were the Queen, and you were not about to sell yourself to some stranger in order to please your advisors.

The months flew by, and before you knew it the dreaded annual First Order Gala was upon you once more. This time you would be attending as a Queen rather than a Princess, which gave you plenty of authority to put creeps like Baron Eastley in their place.

As you sat onboard your transport to the Finalizer, your thoughts drifted to the Supreme Leader. The moment he had kissed you outside of your room had played over and over in your head, and the thought of seeing him again made you more nervous every time you thought about it. You told yourself that you were being pathetic – It’s not like Kylo Ren would be spending time thinking about you. It was one night, you had both had a bit to drink, and it was never going to be spoken about again most likely.

You continued to tell yourself this as you approached the hanger for landing. Perhaps you wouldn’t even see the Supreme Leader at the Gala, and if you did you weren’t even sure what to say.

Upon landing you were shown to your quarters for the evening by two Stormtroopers, flanked by your ever-loyal handmaidens. When you arrived at your room, the three women accompanying you were shown to their room next door before bringing your belongings and joining you in your quarters to begin getting you ready for the Gala.

The four of you chatted on as the three women fussed over your hair and makeup, they had been with you through thick and thin – when you were coronated as Queen your court had attempted to assign you new handmaidens, but you had strictly refused. You trusted these women, and discarding them for different people would have broken that trust.

“Do you think the Supreme Leader will talk to you tonight?” Flora finally asked the question on everyone’s lips, and you waited for Jeyne to comment with something optimistic first.

“Of course he will! I bet you’ve been the only thing on his mind since the last Gala!” She beamed at you, and you let out a small chuckle. You hadn’t hesitated in telling your closest confidants about your exchange with the Supreme Leader the previous cycle. You knew they could keep a secret – if anyone from your court had discovered your brief romance with Kylo Ren they would have exploited it for something it wasn’t.

“I’m sure you’re all overstating things.” You gently shook your head, “Last time we had both had a bit to drink and he must have just found me attractive – which is all down to your amazing work.” You praised the three women with a small smile, but they quickly brushed off your compliment.

“Don’t undersell yourself your Majesty, any man would be foolish to turn you down.” Kira looked up from where she was styling your hair and met your eyes in the mirror with a smile.

You continued to chatter along with them as they finalised your look for the evening. Your dress was a shining silver, the area around your chest was made of a sheer fabric which was invisible to the eye, but the silver embellishments were sparsely dotted out around your chest, creating a beautiful illusion. The dress hugged your waist, and the skirt fell to the floor, catching the light as you moved. Your hair fell in cascading waves down your back, and your makeup was done as to compliment your dress perfectly.

“You look incredible.” Kira exhaled a breath, all the ladies were clearly proud of their work – and you were equally as proud of them.

“Thank you, all of you. I’ll never know how you do it.” You smiled at yourself in the mirror.

As was always the routine, just at the moment you were ready to go your escort arrived to take you to the reception hall. Your handmaidens kept to their schedule perfectly every cycle.

“Good luck, your Majesty.” Flora smiled, and you bid farewell to them all as you made your way to the door to meet the Stormtroopers who would be escorting you to the Gala.

When the blast doors opened, your heart skipped a beat and behind you the jaws of your handmaidens hit the floor. Before you stood the Supreme Leader in his all glory, dressed in what you could only assume was the same tunic that he had worn the cycle before.

“I-uh…” You were lost for words, sure you had been mentally preparing yourself to see Kylo Ren again, but not to have him show up at your door before the Gala even began.

“Your Majesty, I know you weren’t expecting me,” He began, seemingly just as nervous as you were, “But I was hoping to escort you this evening.”

You took a second and quickly composed yourself – you were a Queen for goodness sake, not some naïve Princess anymore. “It’d be my honour.” You smiled delicately, and took his arm when prompted.

Out of the corner of your eye you can see your handmaidens exchanging very excited glances as you left.

“May I offer my condolences for the passing of your Father, I’m sure it hasn’t been an easy cycle for you.” He spoke solemnly as the pair of you slowly approached the reception hall.

“Thank you, Supreme Leader.” You looked down, discussing your Father’s passing was still a raw subject, but you’d had plenty of practise at holding it together, “He is sorely missed on our planet.”

“I can imagine.” He replied, “But I also wanted to congratulate you on the work you have done so far. It is my understanding that under your rule the First Order is being supplied with almost double the amount of steel we were before.”

You nodded, “It’s been my first priority to improve worker conditions and boost morale, in turn it has increased production levels. A lucky outcome really.”

“Don’t put it down to luck, ruling suits you. I realised that at the last Gala.”

Your mind drifted back to the pervious cycle when you had swiftly put Baron Eastley in his place, unsurprisingly he was one of the planetary leaders requesting your hand in marriage for his sons.

“That’s kind of you to say, Supreme Leader.” You offered him a cordial smile, which he returned.

“Kylo, please.” He told you, and you nodded. You remembered he had asked you not to call him by his title at the previous Gala, but you didn’t want to assume that things were the same this time around.

There was an awkward air between you both. That elephant in the room that neither of you would talk about, and that was the kiss you had shared.

You reached the entrance and Kylo turned to you, “I’m afraid I’ll have to take my leave.”

He had to enter along with the First Order Supreme Council, and you had no desire to join him. “Thank you for escorting me.” You nodded, before adding, “I hope to see you in there.”

“I’ll make sure of it.” He gave a curt bow, and marched off in another direction, leaving you alone.

You inhaled a deep breath and entered the reception hall, many glances being thrown your way. Perhaps it was the dress grabbing their attention, or maybe it was the fact that you had become Queen so abruptly at such a young age - if these aristocrats loved anything it was gossip.

“Queen Y/N!” A voice called, “Please, join us!” You recognised the man speaking as the representative Chancellor of Vardos. He was standing in amongst a group of other men and women, many of whom you recognised but not well enough to know any of their names.

You nodded, and made your way over to their schmoozing circle, being sure to swipe a glass of champagne from a serving droid on your way over. Time to paint on the fake smile and act happy to see all of these strangers.

“How lovely to see you all.” You took a small sip from your glass and stood tall whilst they all looked at you like a pack of hungry dogs.

“We were all terribly sorry to hear about your Father’s passing, he was a good man.” One woman, who you recognised as a member of the Corellian leadership, spoke first.

“He was.” You knew that you would hear plenty of these comments this evening, despite none of these people truly being sorry about his passing. When he had died the First Order’s allied planets had sensed an opportunity to infiltrate your planet’s economy - after all you were supplying the First Order with something irreplaceable.

“How have you found Queendom so far? I can imagine it hasn’t been an easy adjustment to make, particularly alone.” This comment was so pointed it made you feel sick to the stomach, imagine having a young woman rule alone? Scandalous…

“I’ve actually settled in very well, thank you.” Your tone was slightly sharp, but you blunted it with a polite smile. Many of the people here tonight had been begging your advisors that they arrange a marriage for you, but you had been refusing them.

You weren’t against marriage, but you wanted to marry for the right reasons. You certainly didn’t want somebody to marry you simply to usurp your power.

“I’ve actually been speaking to your advisors about my son, your Majesty. He’s a few years older and than you and has plenty of experience-” Thankfully you were saved by the bell before that sentence could finish.

“Please all be upstanding for Supreme Leader Kylo Ren.” Your head whipped to the doors which Kylo would enter through and applause rang out through the hall as he walked down the elaborate steps, looking completely indifferent as he always did.

His eyes searched the crowd, and eventually landed on you and you could have sworn you saw him wink at you… but that may have been a trick of the light.

As Kylo descended down the stairs whispers began circulating amongst your group, and it was clear that these people didn’t know that Kylo Ren had depth to him beyond stabbing men with a Lightsaber.

“I’ve heard he’s killed men just for making eye contact with him.”

“You know the scar? Apparently they could have healed him but he wanted to keep it to make him look more dangerous.”

This chatter continued circulating amongst the people stood around you, and eventually they all turned to you to comment - and you cleared your throat, if they wanted something to talk about then you would give them something.

“I’m sure if the Supreme Leader heard you talking about him in such a way he wouldn’t hesitate to demonstrate his power to you.” You shrugged nonchalantly, “But for what it’s worth I think there’s more to him than you all assume. I wouldn’t believe every rumour you hear.”

They all fell silent, unsure of how to respond to your comment so they simply ignored it and changed the subject.

The talk turned to politics, and you largely remained silent unless called upon to comment on your planet’s economy, which you did so proudly and with confidence. All of sudden midway through the conversation you noticed everybody staring at you, and you suddenly became very uncomfortable; until you realised that there were looking over your shoulder.

Turning around you nearly collided with Kylo’s chest, and he surreptitiously placed a hand on the small of your back to steady you, “I apologise for startling you, your Majesty.”

“Not at all,” You flashed him a smile, actually relieved that he was here hopefully to rescue you from this conversation, “I should really be more aware of my surroundings.”

He slowly dropped his hand from your back before anybody watching could read into the gesture and turned to the group who were all frozen in fear by his presence.

“Thank you all for being here.” He addressed them all, and they took this as their cue to begin pushing their way to be the first to talk to him about the airs and graces of their individual planets.

He allowed them all to finish tripping over their words before clearing his throat, “I actually came here to talk to Queen Y/N.”

All eyes were suddenly on you, and they all looked like death glares - jealousy was rising in the air but nobody made any move to stand the in way of Kylo Ren.

“I apologise for interrupting.” He told them all, and once again his hand was at the small of your back, but this time it was to gently lead you away from the crowd. He came right on time since your champagne flute was empty and you didn’t think you could stand another minute of their incessant gossiping.

The two of you walked away from the crowds of people, but it didn’t go unnoticed this time around - there were multiple pairs of eyes watching you both.

Very aware of this, Kylo chose not to stand too close to you, which you appreciated.

“I trust you had no interest in remaining part of that.” He raised an eyebrow and you chuckled. You both seemed far more comfortable than you initially had when he showed up at your quarters.

“Absolutely not.” You replied, shaking your head, “Your entrance actually saved me from a conversation I didn’t want to have.”

“You don’t strike me as the kind of Queen who engages in conversations she doesn’t want to have.” He smirked slightly.

“And I don’t, but on these occasions I have to make exceptions. It turns out I can’t spend the entire cycle ignoring all these stuck up politicians’ proposals of marriage and show up here alone without causing controversy.” You rolled your eyes.

“Marriage? Are you… betrothed?” He suddenly interjected, and your cheeks reddened slightly. Perhaps you had forgotten whose company you were in - you probably shouldn’t be discussing such personal political matters with the Supreme Leader.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.” You sheepishly backtracked, “But, um, no I’m not. My advisors are suggesting I marry, but I don’t trust the motivations of these proposals.”

“You’re right not to trust them.” He mused, plucking two glasses of champagne from a passing serving droid and handing you one, taking your empty one and placing it back on the tray.

“Thank you.” You mumbled, taking a sip, “How do you know I’m right not trusting them?” You wondered why Kylo was so interested in your political affairs, but equally it was nice for someone to give you an honest opinion.

“I think I must confess something.” He looked nervous, and suddenly very aware of all the eyes that were stealing glances your way.

You noticed Kylo’s posture stiffen, “Is there perhaps somewhere more private we can talk?” You softly asked him, and he nodded, looking relieved that you suggested it.

Taking his arm he led you to the back of the reception hall, where the was a set of blast doors which led to a viewpoint. It was an enclosed area, which looked out over the vast depths of space - it was a beautiful sight, you never got to see the stars up close.

“Wow…” You quietly said under your breath, “It’s beautiful.”

Kylo was stunned by your awe, perhaps he had become so accustomed to living off planet that he under-appreciated it. In his opinion you were the true sight.

“I apologise, I’m getting distracted.” You shook your head and turned to him with a smile on your face, “Now that we don’t have an audience, you had something you wished to confess.” Your heart was racing at the thought of what he was about to tell you, but equally you willed yourself not to jump to conclusions.

Kylo stepped forward and sheepishly reached out to take one of your hands in his, “After the last Gala, I’ve taken an interest in your planet but really it was you I wanted to know about.” He looked down, suddenly unable to meet your eyes, “You shouldn’t be marrying someone from a backwater planet who just wants you for your power, you deserve more than that.”

“I do.” You quietly agreed with him, and then you met his eyes. You knew that everything the others said about Kylo Ren was true - he was dangerous, and powerful but they didn’t see this side of him, the side of him that was vulnerable and caring.

Silence fell between you, and you contemplated what to say next. You felt yourself gravitating towards Kylo uncontrollably and you worried that you were going to fall for the man without any assurance that he was the right man to fall for.

“I have to know; you said you took an interest in me, but I’ve met with some of your highest ranked officers since becoming Queen… why did you never come?” The question sounded stupid leaving your mouth, but you hoped it was a valid point. Of course, he was the Supreme Leader and had plenty of other responsibilities, but if he cared that much? Surely an exception would have been made.

“I wasn’t sure how you felt after the last Gala, I thought perhaps it was just a one off.” He looked so nervous, you found it hard to believe this was the same Supreme Leader who had nearly bitten Baron Eastley’s head off last cycle.

He hadn’t come to your planet because he was worried that it would be awkward? You had thought that would be the problem the other way around…

“I wouldn’t say it’s a habit of mine to kiss handsome strangers.” Part of you was cringing at your corny line, but either way you flashed him a smirk and it seemed to do the trick in making him feel more comfortable.

“That’s a shame, because I was hoping you might make a habit of it.” His voice was quiet and raspy. He released your hand in favour of pushing a loose strand of hair behind your ear and slowly leaned down towards your lips.

You placed the hand not holding a glass on his chest, and shut your eyes in anticipation of his lips meeting yours… but they never came.

Just before the two of you could kiss the blast doors leading to the viewpoint flew open, and within a split second you and Kylo had leapt away from one another, both cursing under your breath. The whole situation probably still looked incriminating.

“Supreme Leader, Queen Y/N. I’m so sorry, I hope we weren’t interrupting anything.” Of course it was the Chancellor of Vardos and his entourage who had encroached on your moment. Just judging by the look on his face he knew full well what he was doing, clearly they had all been waiting to follow you this entire time.

Out of the corner of your eye you could see Kylo’s fists clenching, so you jumped in before he could show them his temper, “Not at all, Chancellor. In fact we were just leaving, the viewpoint is all yours.” You gave the most cordial smile, and attempted to move past the group of them.

Just as you brushed past the Corellian representative from earlier, she placed a hand on your shoulder to prevent you from leaving, “You’re welcome to join us, your Majesty, I’m sure the Supreme Leader has many other people to meet with tonight.”

You knew these politicians and their games. They were trying trying to keep you there in order to ruffle your feathers, but equally if you left now they would take it as confirmation that there was something between you and Kylo.

You exchanged a glance with him, both of you knowing that you had to split up for a while in order to stop the gossip before it spread.

Kylo had dropped all manners in his frustration and simply grunted before pushing through the small crowd and leaving the viewpoint, which left you alone with the flock of vultures.

“You and the Supreme Leader certainly seem to be well-acquainted.” The Chancellor raised his eyebrow at you. The entire group of them was insufferable, they acted as though they were above everybody else when you knew that your planet was amongst the most important to be represented. What they really wanted to was to tear you down, and you wouldn’t allow it.

“We had business matters to discuss.” You gave a nonchalant shrug, and he was quick to respond to you.

“It certainly looked like more than that from where we were standing.”

You took a moment to sip at your champagne, appearing entirely unbothered by the Chancellor’s comment. "That sounds like an interesting story Chancellor, please let me know how it ends.“ Your smile was contradicted by the sarcasm dripping from your tone.

"Perhaps if you were to reconsider one of our proposals of marriage, it would put our minds at ease that you aren’t… how do I put this? In bed with the Supreme Leader.” The Corellian woman spoke up this time and you used all your self control to not smash your glass over her head there and then.

Yes, it was almost unheard of for a young woman in your position to be unmarried, and particularly to be discarding the idea of a political marriage. But you had your morals, and you were not going to turn your back on them. You knew the comment about Kylo was just to illicit a reaction from you, so you purposely kept your cool.

“I have not turned down your marriage proposals in favour of Supreme Leader Ren. If you must know, your group of suitable bachelors have the collective intelligence of a Dewback with no legs. If I am to rule alongside someone, _I_ will choose who. I will not be courted by your naive sons and senators who serve as your puppets to take over my economy.” Without another word you pushed past them and left the viewpoint with your head held high.

Once the blast doors shut behind you and you were out of sight you exhaled a breath you didn’t realise you had been holding.

You saw Kylo talking to a ginger man who you recognised as the General, but when he saw you emerge from the viewpoint he swiftly made his way to your side.

“Perhaps next cycle I can make it through an entire Gala without somebody attempting to marry me off in order to take over my planet’s resources.” You sighed and looked at him, feeling rather defeated. It was frustrating that you could be so successful, but because you were young and a woman you would never gain everybody’s respect.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have left you alone with them.” He looked at you apologetically, but you brushed it off.

“You know you couldn’t have stayed in there without sparking some ridiculous rumours.” You were certainly ready to retire for the evening, and before you could tell Kylo this he had beaten you to it.

Once again plucking the empty champagne flute from your hand he placed both glasses on the nearest serving tray before turning back to face you, “May I see you back to your quarters?”

“Yes, you may.” You nodded, now past the point of caring if anyone saw you leaving with Kylo. After all, you could do a lot worse than the Supreme Leader of the First Order.

You took his arm, as was the routine now, and he led you to the door you had entered through all those hours ago.

“I take it you had some choice words for your friends back there.” He smirked slightly, and you exhaled a small laugh. You never thought you’d be telling the Supreme Leader about how you had insulted a number of his guests.

“I may have compared their potential suitors to a Dewback without legs.” You now realised how ridiculous that insult had sounded, but it did illustrate your point exceptionally well.

Kylo let out a genuine laugh, something you doubted many people heard from him, “That’s certainly inventive.”

You leisurely walked back to your quarters, but when you reached the blast doors your heart sank… this was reminiscent of the previous Gala, and the thought of going so long without seeing Kylo again was making you feel sick.

“Kylo, I-” You began, looking down at the floor to avoid eye contact, “-I don’t want this to end the same way it did before.”

He gently placed his hand beneath your chin and brought your face up to look at him, “It won’t, I’m not letting you get away this time.”

Kylo was determined not to lose you this time. When he had heard news of the numerous planets competing for your hand in marriage he was certain that he had missed his chance and you would be attending the Gala with your new husband. But here you were standing before him, still denying the advances of others.

His hand brought your face further towards his, and within moments his lips were finally on yours - this time with no interruptions.

You reached up and rested your hands at the base of his neck, and he responded by pulling you flush again his chest by your waist.

He kissed you with fervor, his movements were becoming hastier and you weren’t complaining. It wasn’t long before you both separated for air but you remained close, his forehead pressed against yours.

“Do you want to come in?” You breathlessly asked him, not knowing what had come over you to propose something so bold.

“Yes.” He didn’t hesitate to respond, and you pulled yourself away from him long enough to take his hand and drag him through the blast doors to your room.

When you were inside Kylo stood and looked at you up and down, his brown eyes were filled with lust and you imagined that yours didn’t looks dissimilar.

“You look incredible.” He breathed out, before lunging towards you to capture your lips once again in a hungry kiss.

You gladly fell into his arms and melted into the kiss - somehow even with his tongue in your mouth and hand weaving its way through your hair he still managed to be gentle, as if he were scared you’d break.

He pushed you backwards as you made out, and soon the backs of your legs met with the bed. With a small push you fell onto the soft mattress, dragging Kylo with you.

He braced his own impact in order to not squash you beneath his massive frame, and the two of you remained there, mouths working in synchronisation. Eventually Kylo broke the kiss and began peppering kisses along your jaw, and down to your neck whilst his hands explored every curve of your body. It was as if you were a temple and he was worshiping you.

Meanwhile your hands were slowly running up and down his biceps. Despite still wearing his tunic and undershirt, you could feel that he was built like a brick house beneath it all.

Out of the blue Kylo pulled his face away and looked down at you with swollen lips, panting slightly, “Marry me.”

You were stunned, your mouth unable to form the words at first because you were so busy processing what had just been said. You reached up and ran a hand through his dark hair, “Are you serious?” You finally asked, quietly.

Kylo faltered for a moment, fearing rejection, “I mean it.” He eventually responded, before sounding more sure of himself, “You said you didn’t trust the motivations of the other marriage proposals, but trust me.”

Your heart was beating so fast you thought you must have been dreaming, but this was _real_ Kylo Ren, the man who ruled the galaxy was offering you his hand in marriage.

“My planet…” You whispered, hating yourself for thinking about your duties right now but you were a Queen, you couldn’t just forget about your people… not even for him.

“I’m not asking you to abandon your people-” He slowly began placing chaste kisses to your lips and jaw between his words, “I would never undermine you as Queen, but you could also be my Empress - we could rule the galaxy together.”

“Yes.” You suddenly blurted out before you could stop yourself. But then you realised you didn’t want to stop yourself, there was an undeniable connection between you and Kylo and the motive behind his proposal was true sentiment - not a political move.

“Yes?” He paused the slow movements of his lips against your skin and looked deep into your eyes.

“ _Yes_.” A huge smile broke out on your face, and a feeling of undeniable joy rose up within you. 

A genuine smile also appeared on Kylo’s face, and you had never seen him look so… _cute._ You crashed your lips together in an instant.

There were plenty of unspoken details, but you were certain you could overcome them. Your advisors had been pushing you to accept a marriage proposal, and you could only imagine their shock when you return having accepted one from the Supreme Leader.

Come the next Gala you would be greeting the condescending politicians not only as a Queen, but as Empress.


	3. III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A whirlwind cycle passes, and now as the wife of Kylo Ren you have to make your most nerve-wracking gala appearance yet.
> 
> You’re a threat to many others who envy your position, and the rumours flying around about your relationship don’t help your stress as you prepare for the gala.
> 
> Chaos is bound to ensue.

“Please, be seated.” You addressed your court as you made your way to your throne at the head of the table.

Your advisors sit as instructed to do so. Only two rotations ago you had been aboard the Finalizer, and the Supreme Leader had offered you his hand in marriage. Until now only you and Kylo knew about the engagement, he had been very considerate of your political situation and insisted that he would not mention anything to the First Order until you had told your own advisors.

Not even your closest confidants knew - and keeping such big news secret from them had been painfully difficult.

“Your Majesty, since your appearance at the gala we’ve received a number of messages from allied planets.”

“I dread to think…” You waved your hand, motioning for them to proceed and inform you about what you were going to assume was nothing short of hate mail.

“I hate to approach the situation again, but some of them have withdrawn their proposals of marriage and suggested new suitors who they believe will be, um- more to your standard.” Your chief advisor spoke, and the whole court looked rather nervous. They were used to you harshly shutting down any talks of marriage.

You knew they were simply delivering the messages, and it didn’t surprise you that your associates from the gala were now suggesting different suitors - you would have been foolish to think that they would let it go just because you insulted them. Your planet’s economy was booming, and the opportunity of a young, unmarried queen was priceless.

“You can decline all proposals.” You began, taking a deep breath before finally letting out the secret that had been eating away at you, “I have already accepted one.”

Mutters rose up from your court, and you allowed them to make their comments of surprise before raising your hand to silence them. They all rightfully had plenty of questions, so you answered them all before they could ask them.

“At the Gala Supreme Leader Ren asked for my hand in marriage, and I accepted.” You tried to ignore the smile that threatened to break out on your face as you recalled the heated moment he had asked you to marry him.

“The Supreme Leader?” Jafan, the chief advisor, questioned in sheer disbelief. He was a trustworthy, honest man. He had spent years serving under your father and he had been nothing but a close ally to you since you had taken the throne.

“Yes. I know it seems unbelievable, and truly I’m still trying to wrap my own head around it, but I accepted nevertheless - it’s what I want.” You wanted to make it abundantly clear that you had chosen this, it wasn’t for political gain, that was just an added bonus.

Your entire court seemed content with this response, and they all waited for Jafan to speak again on their behalf.

“Congratulations your Majesty, we can begin preparations for your wedding as soon as you wish.” He smiled at you, and you returned it.

“I’ll contact Supreme Leader Ren shortly and we can choose a date.” You confirmed.

From there the meeting largely consisted of minor issues, as they always did. Morale amongst the workers in the steel factories was higher than ever, and production rates were still soaring - that was something you were determined to not let slip once you became Empress as well as Queen.

When you dismissed everyone after the meeting Jafan rushed after you, “my Queen!” He called, and you stopped to allow him to catch up to you.

“What can I do for you Jafan?” You politely asked him as he came to walk by your side.

“About the marriage, your Majesty. I wanted to extend my personal congratulations again, but I just-” He cut himself off, clearly unsure of how to word what he wanted to say without coming across as insubordinate.

“You have concerns, I understand.” You softly told him. It was clearly going to be a big adjustment, and Jafan was simply doing his job by bringing the issues to your attention, you appreciated that.

“A marriage to the Supreme Leader will come hand in hand with plenty of benefits for us, but equally my concern lies with you needing to take on so many new responsibilities if you are to rule the First Order alongside him.” Jafan was right to have these concerns, they were ones that had already crossed your mind.

“I thought about this. I won’t abandon my planet or its people by any means, but I will be spending more time off-world, and in my stead I was going to ask you to chair meetings and be the acting head of state. I can easily stay in contact with you and I still intend to be here regularly.” You confirmed. It was something you had given a lot of thought to. Jafan was someone you trusted, and he had more than proved himself through his years of experience and sound guidance he had offered you in your time as Queen.

“Queen Y/N, you honour me. Thank you.” He stopped to bow before you, and you nodded in appreciation.

“I know you won’t let me down Jafan.” You smiled at him, and at this bid him farewell. You were itching to tell you handmaidens about the news, they hadn’t stopped pestering you about what had happened at the Gala, and they knew you were keeping something from them - now you could finally tell them.

When you entered your chambers the three ladies were all sat on your bed awaiting your arrival, and they burst out into smiles when they saw you, rising to greet you properly.

“How was the meeting your Majesty?” Flora asked.

“Don’t get up ladies, honestly.” You waved your hand in dismissal, and they all sat back down the the bed with you joining them. "The meeting was eventful. I actually have something I’ve been dying to tell you all!“

They all looked at you, curious, but equally excited. They knew some good news had been coming, and finally you were able to share it.

"Supreme Leader Ren asked for my hand in marriage, and I accepted!” You excitedly told them all, finally allowing yourself to finally relax revel in the joy of the news rather than worry about the details.

The three women did nothing short of squealing like school-girls, but you were thrilled that they were happy for you.

“You two will be perfect together!” Kira exclaimed, having allowed the other women to offer their congratulations, they had known how fond you had been of him.

Kira wasn’t wrong either, weeks passed and Kylo had made regular visits to your planet. He was invested in the wedding plans but left a lot of it up you, he had no finesse for organising these sorts of events, and you seemed to be in your element.

The big day flew by. The ceremony and following reception had been held planet-side, and you had been sure to keep it a rather quiet affair; despite the whole galaxy probably knowing of your marriage you were still inclined to keep nosy the representatives from other planets away from you.

From there you fell into a routine where you would spend four rotations aboard the Finalizer with your husband and the remaining three back home. It was a lot to juggle sometimes, but you wouldn’t have changed it for the world.

The cycle passed in a flash, and in that time you and Kylo had grown ever closer. You knew of his past life as Ben Solo, you knew all of his fears and aspirations, and it all just made you love him more.

Meanwhile watching you rule so successfully not only as a Queen, but also as an Empress made Kylo fall for you more than he ever imagined possible. You had a mutual respect for one another, and you had easily cemented your place in the First Order.

However you seemed to never be far from scrutiny. For every day stolen away with your husband where he would whisk you off for a night spent away on a different planet, there seemed to be a new rumour circulating about your relationship.

It didn’t bother you, you actually never involved yourself in such trivial matters. But it did unnerve you slightly to think about how many people working alongside you had heard these rumours, and namely how many people actually believed them.

Not only that but you didn’t always feel safe around these people, you threatened their pride as Empress. You didn’t doubt that Kylo would fiercely protect you through anything, but all it would take is for him to turn his back at the wrong second. It seemed to be an irrational fear, but you had turned down everyone in exchange for the most powerful man in the galaxy, and to outsiders it looked like a shady political move when really it was much more simple than that. Perhaps you were overthinking it, but you didn’t trust any of the people you had previously associated yourself with to try something to remove you from the picture.

These thoughts were at the back of your mind as you prepared for the annual First Order Gala. Your handmaidens aboard the Finalzer could never compare to your closest confidants back on your home planet - they weren’t nearly as chatty, but you couldn’t deny that they still did an impeccable job of making you look like an Empress.

Your dress this year was one to fit your new title - there was no blending into the crowd anymore. The dress itself was black and strapless, leaving your shoulders bare. It was tailored to your waist and hit the floor, and it was embellished with luxurious stones boasting the smallest hints of red on the bodice and around your chest, the embellishments becoming more sparse further down the garment. However, the clear standout piece of this outfit was the flowing cape attached to the top of the dress just below your shoulders. It flowed to the ground and had a short train - the cape was equally embellished with stones which boasted eye catching red colours when they hit the light.

Your hair was set in loose curls, and styled to be pushed away from your face - it was held back by a lavish crown which was embedded into your hair, it was subtle but effectively asserted your position. The dark colours matched your dress, and your makeup was also darker than you would usually wear. But that was to be expected, you were the Empress of the First Order now, and they had a certain dark aesthetic you had to adopt at these functions.

“Thank you ladies.” You stood before the mirror, giving your handmaidens a cordial nod. They muttered their pleasantries before you dismissed them - perhaps you would never have a good relationship with them, they were afraid to speak freely in case they put a foot out of line, a fear your ladies back home were free of.

Now alone in the large quarters you shared with Kylo you smoothed down your skirt and inhaled a deep breath - this cycle you truly had nothing to look forward to. Previously you had been excited at the prospect of seeing the Supreme Leader again, but now you were married to him, you could see him whenever you wanted.

As you thought of your husband, you were led to wonder where he was. Sure you could turn up to your own gala fashionably late, but you were pushing it for time now and you hadn’t seen Kylo since your handmaidens had first arrived to begin getting you ready.

He sauntered through the doors right on cue, and you turned to face him with a grin on your face as you took in his appearance. He was wearing the same tunic he wore every year, and most days you now knew, but tonight is was accessorised by a black cape. It was not dissimilar to the one you wore, but rather than being covered in lavish stones and crystals his was adorned by a red lining - you looked subtly coordinated.

“You look incredible.” He quietly exhaled as he approached you, his arms wrapping around your waist, “I can’t wait to take it off you later.” He then said as a raspy whisper in your ear, causing heat to briefly flood your body at the thought.

“At least I have something to look forward to.” You smirked, pressing a short kiss to his lips.

“Mhm, I agree.” Kylo reluctantly pulled away from you and traded his arms around your waist for linking his arm with yours.

He lead you out of your quarters. Both of you _still_ hated these events, and now that you were married to the Supreme Leader you didn’t have the exhilaration of wondering if Kylo Ren would talk to you, or kiss you - you didn’t need a gala for any of that anymore.

Many of the rumours flying around concerned your personal lives, and they were just designed to make you feel uneasy in your position - but it wasn’t that easy. People made many assumptions about your relationship with Kylo, but they didn’t know who he really was. All they saw was his hard exterior and aptitude for violence, not the caring man he was behind closed doors who you had come to love.

When you approached the entrance you had entered the gala from every other year you wished you could have done the same that evening. It was so much easier to just slip in the back and have nobody notice you, you weren’t ready to have all eyes and judgement on you.

“You’ll be fine.” Kylo quietly reassured you as you arrived at the blast doors he walked through every year. He had naturally taken to reading your emotions in situations - he didn’t even do it on purpose most of the time.

“The last two cycles I’ve insulted your guests, this year they’re _our_ guests which doesn’t bode well for me if I’m rude to them again.” You nervously laughed. You couldn’t stand being belittled by sleazy politicians, which is why you had lashed out so easily at them, but you feared you needed to be on your best behaviour now.

“They’re our guests, but _you’re_ my Empress. If anyone disrespects you I could have them killed.” Kylo spoke almost as if he were challenging someone to test his words, and you didn’t doubt that he meant what he had said.

“Please all be upstanding for Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, and Empress Y/N Y/L/N.” You heard the voice echo from inside, and just as you inhaled a deep breath the blast doors flew open, applause ringing out through the room.

Kylo led you down the staircase. Both of your expressions made you look as though you were above the whole event, and in truth you were - you’d rather have been in bed with your husband.

“Later.” He quietly whispered to you with a smirk, and your cheeks flushed. You tended to accidentally project your thoughts to him - you had no idea how to stop doing it honestly.

You reached the bottom of the staircase, and didn’t know where to begin. Usually you would have been busy pretending to interested in whatever gossip other guests were indulging in

Following Kylo’s lead, you spent a long time going round from group to group to exchange pleasantries with your guests and thank them for their loyalty to the First Order. You constantly had a polite smile on your face as you gave your thanks for their compliments regarding your appearance and congratulations on your marriage. All in all things weren’t going as badly as you had anticipated.

Eventually you spotted Jafan in the crowd, socialising amongst other representatives. You were impressed at how natural he looked in his role, but he was so experienced in politics and leadership that you weren’t surprised, he had done you proud as acting head of state.

“I’m just going to see Jafan.” You told Kylo who nodded at you and released your arm from his. He didn’t generally show much affection in public, and you couldn’t blame him, he had a tough and unbreakable exterior he needed to portray and he didn’t want to seem as though you were a weakness to him.

“I’ll come and find you.” He replied, and you politely excused yourself from the group you and your husband had been addressing and quickly turned tail to walk towards Jafan.

“Your Majesty!” He exclaimed, a wide grin on his face as he bowed to you, and you smiled back at him. Whilst the First Order insisted everybody address you as Empress, your chief advisor was the exception to this rule - he had known you since you were a young Princess.

“It’s good to see you Jafan, you look well.” You nodded and he expressed his gratitude for your compliment.

“If I might be so bold I have never seen you look more beautiful, my Queen.” He returned the compliment and you thanked him.

“How are you finding the experience? You seem to be better at it than I ever was.” You joked, and he responded with a short chuckle.

“It’s just good business your Majesty, I could think of many places I would rather be.” He shook his head, and you appreciated that more than he could know. These events were the highlight of some people’s cycles, but they weren’t for everyone.

Before you could respond a shadow was cast over you both by the approaching Chancellor of Vardos, whose name you now knew was Darro Bernand - after your previous debacle with him and his entourage you had made a conscious effort to do some research on the man.

“Jafan, how refreshing to see you here!” Darro exclaimed, eagerly shaking his hand before eventually turning to you, “And Queen Y/N, always a pleasure.”

Not only had he addressed you second and made a backhanded comment suggesting that he would rather have seen Jafan representing your planet than its own Queen, but he purposely used your wrong title. With other people you would have brushed it off as a simple mistake, but not Darro, he was an exceptionally bitter individual.

“That’s _Empress,_ Chancellor Bernand.” You put on your cordial smile, speaking in as soft a tone as you could muster, “And on behalf of myself and my husband I’d like to thank you for your attendance and continued loyalty to the First Order.” You went through the motions, you were determined to not allow yourself to become aggressive towards belligerence, you were better than that now.

“My apologies, of course _Empress._ ” He gave a clearly fake smile, “Congratulations on the marriage, you certainly have come a long way.” There was a nasty undertone to his words, and you weren’t surprised.

“If you’ll excuse me Chancellor.” You nodded, wanting to reunite with Kylo before you kick Darro between the legs. "I’ll see you later Jafan, if you need anything let me know.“ You genuinely smiled at him before turning to walk away.

"Actually Empress,” Darro called, rushing to walk alongside you, “I had actually hoped to apologise to you.”

You stopped at this and turned to face him, confusion plastered across your face as you waited for him to speak.

“My behaviour towards you last gala was inappropriate , and I want you to accept my humble apology for being so abrasive.” He seemed strangely genuine, but you didn’t believe it for a second. Nevertheless you responded accordingly.

“I appreciate and accept your apology Chancellor, please enjoy yourself this evening.” You attempted to continue walking away, but he placed his hand on your arm to keep your attention on him.

“Thank you for your forgiveness, I wish you a happy life with Supreme Leader Ren. I’m sure it hasn’t been an easy adjustment for you.” There was a sub-message in those words, and you wanted to ignore it and move on, but you had to know.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You questioned him.

“I just imagine having to split yourself between your home and this ship isn’t where you pictured yourself back when you were a princess. I suppose you did what was best for your planet’s political position, but I hope you didn’t compromise on your happiness.”

You were seething, and it was taking everything in your power not to have his tongue ripped from his mouth, “Not that it’s any of your business but if I was going to marry for political gain I would have chosen a suitor from another planet long ago, I married my husband because he makes me happy and for no other reason.” You had no duty to tell him any of this, but you were fed up of these rumours circulating.

“You don’t have to lie Empress, everybody knows that the Supreme Leader is an aggressive man - and with no pregnancy? We could only assume that you were delaying the inevitable.” His voice was no longer masking the venom behind his words, he was just a spiteful man.

“Speak to me like that again and I’ll-” As you spoke you were raising your hand to strike it across the Chancellor’s insufferable face but before you reached it there was a deafening explosion towards the far end of the room, causing you to instinctively stumble back a few steps.

“Y/N!” You heard a voice calling you in the distance, “Y/N where are you?” It was Kylo, he was shoving his way through the crowds to find you.

You turned around to get his attention, but stopped in your tracks when you felt the barrel of a blaster being jabbed into your back and the voice of the Chancellor whispering in your ear, “Don’t say a word or I’ll pull the trigger right now. We’re leaving.” His voice made your skin crawl, but you moved with him since it was that or die on the spot.

Somehow you assumed you were going to die either way, but if you delayed the inevitable you had a better chance of survival, that was at least what you told yourself in that moment when panic was flooding your veins.

Whilst everyone else in the room was still revelling in the shock of the explosion Darro pushed you towards the exit in a hurry. The explosion hadn’t been huge, and it _conveniently_ didn’t seemed to have injured anyone - it was clearly a setup, perhaps you had been right to not feel safe around all these people who clearly loathed you.

“Why are you doing this?” You hissed, “I’m the Empress of the First Order, we’ll have you killed for this.”

“ _No,_ what you are is a just a girl meddling in matters she doesn’t understand. You think we don’t see through your naive princess routine? You married the most dangerous man in the galaxy to prove a point, and to make sure your pathetic little planet stays protected. Nobody in their right mind would marry a man like Kylo Ren for any other reason.” He spat these words to you in a hushed tone and you were shoved out into the corridor.

To your dismay the Stormtroopers who should have been patrolling the corridors were missing. "So now what, you kill me? What good will that do any of you?“ You scoffed, assuming that the Chancellor was not working alone - presumably he had allied himself with his associates from the previous cycle’s gala.

"With you gone your planet’s economy will be in open season, giving the rest of us a chance to win favour with the First Order for once and we won’t have to jump into bed with Kylo Ren to do so.” He snapped, and you were convinced he was ushering you to the hanger to make an escape. It was clever really, killing you aboard the Finalizer was a surefire way to get caught.

“That’s just as well, because you’re not really his type.” You scoffed. If you were going to die then you certainly won’t going to give the Chancellor or any of his associates the satisfaction of seeing you crumble - you just had to find a way to escape before he got you to the hanger.

You knew that Kylo would be searching for you, the biggest downfall of this scheme was that they overlooked your relationship with Kylo. They thought you were pushed into it, that he didn’t care for you - their plan relied on the basis that Kylo wouldn’t be concerning himself with your disappearance.

As that crossed your mind you remembered that you constantly subconsciously projected your thoughts to your husband, if you could somehow communicate to him that you were on your way to the hanger then he could beat the Chancellor there.

 _The hanger._ You thought as you imagined it in your mind, painting as real of a picture as you could. Perhaps this was hopeless but it was the best idea you had.

When you rounded the corner you were met with another blaster being jabbed in your face, and you scowled at the woman holding it - the irony is you didn’t even recognise her. There were people involved in this plot whom you had never interacted with. You knew becoming Empress would paint a target on your back but this was truly extraordinary.

“Your chariot awaits, Empress.” The woman snidely remarked, before flanking you alongside Darro as you finished the last leg of your journey to the hanger.

“Now as far as anyone will ever know, you _unfortunately_ died in an explosion at the gala - a tragic plot by the Resistance.” The Chancellor let out a cunning laugh in your ear.

“So you used the gala as cover… This must have taken more planning than I’m worth.” You scoffed.

“Oh you have no idea just how much you’re worth dear Empress.” He leaned forward and whispered directly into your ear, making your toes curl.

“You’re disgusting.” You spat back at him, but were just met with a harsh jab from the blaster by your spine, causing you to stumble forward a few steps as you entered the hanger.

 _Please my love, find me._ You willed it a final time, praying to the Maker that Kylo could hear you wherever he was.

The blast doors flew open and you were pushed inside, immediately spotting a ship waiting to depart with two pilots visible through the cockpit viewpoint - you wondered how many people were involved in this scheme.

“So you kill me, claim my planet’s economy and win the First Order’s favour? You think it’ll be that easy?” You thought the longer you could keep him talking, the more time you would buy yourself.

“You have no idea how long we have spent planning this. Nobody will be suspicious of your death, and with no heir? We will have no trouble-” Darro’s snide words were interrupted by a sight which made your face light up.

“Step away from my wife.” Kylo spoke in a slow growl as he approached from the side entrance to the hanger with a handful of Stormtroopers, facing you and your two would-be-murderers head on. His face was contoured by rage, and it was a look you recognised well, usually you would watch him slash at walls with his Lightsaber. But something told you he was about to take his anger out at the people pointing blasters at you, and you weren’t complaining.

The only immediate problem was that his Lightsaber was sitting back in your quarters, but he had compromised by swiping a blaster on his way into the room. Relief was washing over your body despite the fact that you were still in immediate danger, you trusted him unconditionally.

“Stay back!” Darro exclaimed, suddenly behaving like a trapped animal. One of his hands wrapped around your neck whilst the other thrust the blaster into your temple.

Kylo took this vicious movement as an opportunity to fire a blaster bolt at the women who had been accompanying you, it struck her shoulder and as she moved to grasp the wound she was tackled to the ground by a Stormtrooper and quickly restrained.

“I won’t tell you again.” Kylo warned, taking cautious steps towards you with his blaster raised. He was struggling to get a good aim as Darrio was using your body to shield his own entirely.

“I’ll shoot her, don’t think I won’t!” Darro’s grip on your neck was tightening, and it was becoming uncomfortable. It was obvious that he never anticipated this plan to go wrong, and this was one eventually he hadn’t prepared for.

Kylo’s eyes met your own, “do you trust me?” He asked, as if ignoring everyone else in the room in that moment.

“Always.” You quietly exhaled, knowing what he was planning on doing.

You took a deep breath and braced yourself for the impact that was to come. Kylo threw a hand forward and sent a blast through the Force which sent you and Darro flying off your feet.

The impact was largely cushioned by your captor’s body, but Kylo’s move had successfully released Darro’s grip on you and before he could recover you were scrambling to your feet whilst the Stormtroopers rushed over to restrain him and confiscate his weapon.

With wisps of your hair now falling into your face you pulled yourself to your feet and turned to your husband, out of breath from the entire ordeal. Kylo’s eyes met yours and he wasted no time in rushing towards you to pull you into his arms, squeezing your body so tightly he could have crushed you.

“I’m sorry, I should never have left you.” He buried his face in your hair, and your arms snaked under his arms to link behind his back.

“Don’t do that.” You softly told him, “you have nothing to apologise for, this wasn’t your fault.” Your words were slightly muffled by your face being pressed so tightly to his chest.

Eventually he released you and held you at arms length, “I’m never going to let you get hurt again.” He determined, and you knew there was no point in fighting him over it.

“Supreme Leader, what shall we do with them?” A Stromtrooper asked, having rounded up those who were also aboard the ship which had been destined for your escape.

“Take them all to the bridge, I’ll handle them personally.” His voice deepened, darkness having flooded his eyes at the thought of how he would punish those who dared to kill his wife.

Darro in particular had lost all sense of decency and innocence. As he was dragged away he yelled, “this isn’t over! You think he can protect you forever? One day he’ll grow bored of you and that will be your downfall!” His digs were contradictory to the evidence he had seen that night. If his analysis of yours and Kylo’s relationship had been correct then no doubt he would have succeeded in kidnapping and subsequently killing you - but you had proven him wrong.

Just by looking at Kylo’s face you could tell he was on the verge of killing them all right there and then, so you reached up and gently placed a hand on his face to have him face you again.

“We will have our revenge.” You assured him, “But for now I’d just like my bed.” You admitted, the events of the evening having caught up with you.

“Do you not need the Med Bay? I could get a medical droid of come to our quarters and food-” Kylo was gushing, but you placed a finger to his lips.

“Kylo, my love, I’m _fine._ I wouldn’t be here without you - they underestimated our relationship and if they hadn’t perhaps things would not have gone so fortunately. But you saved me, and now they will suffer the consequences.” You reassured him that you were okay, and he went silent for a moment.

“I love you.” He finally said. He didn’t know what else to say, he was so blown away by how you had handled such a traumatic experience with such grace that somehow he found himself loving you even more - which he hadn’t thought would be possible.

“I love you too.” You told him, leaning in to softly kiss his lips for a few moments. When you pulled away you opened you mouth to speak, but shut it, prompting Kylo to speak instead.

“What? You were going to say something.” He raised an eyebrow, arms securing themselves around your waist. At this stage he didn’t care who saw the two of you showing such affection in public.

“It’s just-” You tried to think of the polite way to say it, but you soon realised that in some scenarios being direct was the best option, “We’re never having one of these fucking galas again.” You concluded, earning a short laugh from your adorning husband.

“You won’t hear me complaining.” He mumbled, already capturing your lips in another kiss.


End file.
